This is the program from the “34th Annual Dinner Dance Sea & Field Lodge Number 2-983 F. & A.M.” My grandfather was not a member of this lodge, so he must have attended as a guest. Based on some of the other mason keepsakes, it looks like he was invited to events help by other lodges.

This is the program for the 1955 Annual Dinner Party for Uncas Lodge No. 949. This was one of the years that he was the Master of this lodge. He is only 47 in this picture…everyone looked older in the 1950s.

Here is a letter written to my Father (Robert “Bob” Wilkinson) regarding a Stauffer family history book he was purchasing from someone in newport news. I assume that he bought this book for his mother (Joanna Stouffer Wilkinson). He was 16 years old when this letter was written. Note: $4.09 in 1955 would be equivalent to $35.67 today (2015). A bit pricey for a used book.

The book is called Records of the Proceedings of the John Stauffer Memorial Association, 1911. The whole book is available online.

This is an undated picture of Nellie Stouffer (my Father’s maternal Grandmother) getting on a plane. She died in 1960, and she is not with her husband, who died in 1941. So this was probably taken sometime between 1941 and 1960.

Here is a picture from 1955 of the “Masters & Families”. Not sure wher this picture was taken. My father (Bob Wilkinson or Bobbie as he was known then) is the tallest one in the middle of the picture. His parents (Joanna Stouffer Wilkinson and Frank Wilkinson) are directly in front of him.

A “Master Mason” is the highest rank a Mason can achieve. You have to master increasingly difficult silly handshakes and passwords to make it to this level. I believe you must also purchase a very ridiculous hat to achieve this level in the Masonic order. (source: Wikipedia)